AirAsia plane gone missing

[Eevo]

Live: AirAsia flight from Indonesia to Singapore loses contact with air traffic control - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-28/air-asia-flight-loses-contact-with-air-traffic-control/5990424)

An AirAsia flight from Indonesia's Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control, the airline and Indonesian authorities have confirmed.

Transport ministry official Hadi Mustofa said flight QZ8501 lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower at 7:24am local time.

The official said the aircraft is an Airbus 320-200 with 155 people on board and the plane had asked for an unusual route before it lost contact.

[Eevo]

AirAsia flight QZ8501 from Indonesia to Singapore loses contact with air traffic control - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-28/airasia-flight-from-indonesia-to-singapore-loses-contact/5990458)


AirAsia flight QZ8501 with 162 people on board lost contact with air traffic control en route from Indonesia to Singapore this morning, the airline has confirmed.

AirAsia said a search and research operation has been launched for the missing Airbus A320-200, which went missing 7:24am.

The plane left Juanda International Airport in Surabaya in east Java at 5:20am and was expected to arrive in Singapore at 8:30am.

The Indonesia transport ministry said the plane was carrying seven crew and 155 passengers, including 138 adults, 16 children and a baby.

"At the present time we unfortunately have no further information regarding the status of the passengers and crew members on board, but we will keep all parties informed as more information becomes available," the airline said.

"AirAsia has established an Emergency Call Centre that is available for family or friends of those who may have been on board the aircraft. The number is: +622129850801."

Indonesian transport ministry spokesman JA Barata said authorities were made aware of the missing flight at 7:55am.

Indonesian media are reporting the flight had 149 Indonesians, three Koreans, one Singaporean, one Briton and one Malaysian person on board.

Indonesia Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said the plane had asked for an unusual route before it lost contact with air traffic control.

The Singapore airport said on its website the status of the flight was "delayed".

AirAsia is a budget airline based in Malaysia.

[Ausfree]

Not good news.:(

[Eevo]

Fairfax Indonesia correspondent Michael Bachelard says search and rescue vessels are still eight hours away from the area where flight QZ8501 last made contact.



8 hours :S

already been missing 12 hours

[101RRS]

It is not actually a Malaysian aircraft but Indonesion - is owned by AirAsia Indonesia the same airline that was banned from flying in the EU a few years back.

AirAsia is an amalgam of different autonomous airlines partnered together with the same basic livery.

Still not found - is a bit of a worry.

[Eevo]

It is not actually a Malaysian aircraft but Indonesion - is owned by AirAsia Indonesia

thread title changed.

was first reported as AirAsia not AirAsia Indonesia :)

[Eevo]

im going to speculate, but im guessing this has something to do with it,

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/64.jpg

[Scouse]

A news report I heard tonight said the pilot asked for another route to get around a storm (as above).

[Eevo]

A news report I heard tonight said the pilot asked for another route to get around a storm (as above).

not uncommon (as the news was reporting)
or a higher/lower flight level

[Scouse]

not uncommon (as the news was reporting)
or a higher/lower flight levelI know it's not uncommon - it's just that your other posts indicated it was 'an unusual route'.

[bob10]

An update. Storms are certainly looking like the problem.
According to this, Air Asia Indonesia is a 49% owned associate of Malaysian owned Air Asia. Bob


Missing flight: Three countries join search for missing AirAsia jet - Nikkei Asian Review (http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Three-countries-join-search-for-missing-AirAsia-jet)

[Eevo]

I know it's not uncommon - it's just that your other posts indicated it was 'an unusual route'.

yeah, i was quoting the news.

if avoiding weather is unusual, every time i fly i must have an unusual flight, lol

[JDNSW]

The only concrete suggestion as to what happened that I have seen is that of a stall/spin (similar to Air France) although I would think that any airline pilot today would have absorbed the lessons from that incident and a repeat would be very unlikely.

The other possibility that occurs to me is a midair collision with an undocumented flight (with transponder off), something that is also very unlikely. Perhaps more likely is a airframe failure in extreme weather, but this is still very unlikely - airliners fly through this sort of weather all the time with nothing worse than a bit of turbulence and occasional injured passengers.

But regardless, whatever happened, it is something that was very unlikely!

John

[Pickles2]

Not good.
I know nothing about aircraft/navigation etc.
I read this morning that, at this stage, bad weather may be the issue. I read that bad storms can get to over 60,000', & can climb quicker than an aircraft, also that severe hail in such a storm, could take down an aircraft such as the one in question.
Pickles.

[wrinklearthur]

A hail stone the size of a cricket ball hitting a window pane that is travelling at near four hundred kilometres per hour?
.

[Ausfree]

I heard this morning the plane was travelling at 160kph slower than it should have been at the height it was travelling at...................whatever that means?:confused:

[Ausfree]

A hail stone the size of a cricket ball hitting a window pane that is travelling at near four hundred kilometres per hour?
.

Yeah, hitting the pilots window, sudden depressurisation........interesting theory!!!

[AnD3rew]

There was some kind of expert in ABC news this morning claiming that the plane was too small to have been in that spot in those weather conditions and that it is a possibility that they were caught in an extreme updraft that led to a nose up stall. Still at that altitude it seems amazing that there was no mayday even if they had lost control.

[ramblingboy42]

too small?

an expert?

must check this expert out.....I'll just go and look at ABC news.

[ramblingboy42]

Dunno who that aviation expert is , some here might know.

an A320 is not a light aeroplane.

it's what you probably fly from Sydney to Melbourne on and is one of the worlds most popular , common and safe passenger aeroplanes

I think we may have 1or2 A320 pilots on this forum could comment.

[VladTepes]

Being a low budget airline its a safe assumption that the aircrew would not be particularly experienced or have huge hours on the aircraft type.

If something did go wrong, they may not have been able to cope.

[JDNSW]

According to reports the Captain had 6,000+ and the First Officer 2,000+ hours. No mention of on-type, but since the airline seems to run only this type, a significant proportion is likely to be on type. The plane was about six years old, and only 23,000hrs, could be classified as "near new".

John

[p38arover]

I think we may have 1or2 A320 pilots on this forum (snip).

We do indeed.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Our son Brendon went to Japan in April on Air Asia and he said that the crew where great and very helpful. You have to per-purchase your meals etc and pay before hand.He did have an 8hour lay over in Malaysia. But he said he would use them again, but try to get a shorter lay over. It is just very sad that there has been 3 planes that have come down this year.
The whole world is thinking of them and I am sure the other 2 that came down as well.

[YOLO110]

We do indeed.

Yes we do...

And, this is very tragic of course, but also very concerning. Aircraft do not simply 'vanish'... again.

I hope they now find 'wreckage'

I wish the media would just cease putting forward all these un-educated 'theories'... it is just not helpful in anyway at all.

Pete :(

[bob10]

Extreme weather conditions are top of the list. those searching are being hampered by very poor visibility. Bob



Turbulence in the air: Bad weather seen behind missing AirAsia plane- Nikkei Asian Review (http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Bad-weather-seen-behind-missing-AirAsia-plane)

[YOLO110]

Is anyone on here connected or has a contact with one of the major media networks please? I would like to talk to someone, not about the 'un-educated' theories above.

PM me if you wish.

Cheers,

Pete.

[ramblingboy42]

the aeroplane photos being put up appear to be Boeings.

any one else notice?

I may be wrong.

[bob10]

Breaking news, objects found in the water. Not positively identified as wreckage at this point. Bob

[boa]

Also reported plane was flying to slow for altitude. I know it is a broad statement but actual ground rule flying skills seems to be lost. The same as driving skills. It is all good until something unusual happens. The same as the air France crash.

[V8Ian]

Why is this thread not in 'Flight'?

[dullbird]

Because I and other mods agreed it could be left in general chat gir a few days before being moved because it's a major news item and would generate a lot of traffic.

If we moved it straight away someone else would of just made a duplicate post.

The post will be moved to flight once the talk has died down :)

[boa]

Because I and other mods agreed it could be left in general chat gir a few days before being moved because it's a major news item and would generate a lot of traffic.

If we moved it straight away someone else would of just made a duplicate post.

The post will be moved to flight once the talk has died down :)

You are are out of line. What a stupid thing to say. I hope you're post was off the cuff. Stupid post. People have died.

[V8Ian]

You are are out of line. What a stupid thing to say. I hope you're post was off the cuff. Stupid post. People have died.

Which part is out of line? It was simply an answer to a question. Have you read a single post out of context?:confused:

[UncleHo]

Whoa! cool it boa, that is a Moderator that you have had a shot at :mad:

[101RRS]

Which part is out of line? It was simply an answer to a question. Have you read a single post out of context?:confused:

Exactly - the mod gave an explanation nothing more. Some people :eek:

[UncleHo]

With a lot of the modern airliners it is fly by wire,Airbus in particular,it could be that the computer took over after a near stall or lightning strike,then the aircrew become passengers:(

[boa]

The part that ****ed me off was, once the chatter had DIED down it would be moved. To me a bad choice of words at the time nothing else.

[V8Ian]

I think you're being a little oversensitive.

[bob10]

With a lot of the modern airliners it is fly by wire,Airbus in particular,it could be that the computer took over after a near stall or lightning strike,then the aircrew become passengers:(


You know mate, that doesn't give me a lot of confidence in flying now a days. I really hope the reason for this crash is determined , without doubt. Bob

[Mick_Marsh]

It's still far safer to fly to a destination than it is to cross a road.

[boa]

Whoa! cool it boa, that is a Moderator that you have had a shot at :mad:
Are moderators not subject to be challenged, they are needed, but can be questioned. It was a statement of my views. If you took offence to it I can't control that. It was a thought a post no harm intended. But people read things differently.

[Bytemrk]

Stupid post.

Could be seen to be offensive..... but you are right... people read things differently.

Ironic when the complain was about a more careful choice of words.....;)

[Eevo]

i created this thread in the general section because i forgot that we had a flight section.

mods are free to move it of course.

[wrinklearthur]

I hope this thread does stay here for now, so we can follow any new developments.

My comment is that, with all the talk about the satellite tracking of aircraft, a lot of nothing has occurred since this idea was put forward after the disappearance of MH370?

Would a satellite tracking system narrow down the area to be searched? Only if it is turned on!

The other thing to be looked at is, make it mandatory for airports that aircraft leave from and travel to while flying across sea's, to have underwater ping detectors available for immediate deployment, as they are compelled to do with fire fighting equipment.
.

[bob10]

Interesting snippet from news report, the pilot wasn't given permission to go to a new height, Bob


" Meanwhile, details of the incident are slowly starting to emerge. The pilot had asked to ascend from 32,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid clouds, according to Indonesian air traffic authorities. Tatang Kurniadi, head of Indonesia's National Committee of Safety Transportation, said earlier Monday at a press conference in Jakarta that air traffic control did not have time to approve the request due to heavy air traffic. The plane lost contact with air traffic control about five minutes after the request was made."

[bob10]

It's still far safer to fly to a destination than it is to cross a road.


So it seems, Bob


' Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia Group, said at a press conference in Surabaya on Monday: "We have carried 220 million people up to this point. Of course there is going to be some reaction but we are confident in our ability to carry people"'

[Pickles2]

As far as locating the aircraft is concerned, would this aircraft not have some sort of device that sends out a "signal", which would be still be being sent as we speak? I only say this because when the other MH370 flight went down, authorities spoke of some sort of battery powered device that would send out a signal for about a month before the batteries went flat?
Pickles.

[d2dave]

It's still far safer to fly to a destination than it is to cross a road.

Considering there are nearly 9,000 planes in the air as I am typing, there would be close to 2 million people in the air,

Did hear on the news this morning that 2014 goes down as the worst year in aviation history.

[Bytemrk]

i created this thread in the general section because i forgot that we had a flight section.

mods are free to move it of course.


I hope this thread does stay here for now, so we can follow any new developments.

That's exactly what the mod team is doing as per Dullbird's previous message.

This is current news and obviously of interest to people, so we will leave it here while the thread is still active.

When things quieten down and it slides back a few pages, we will ultimately move it to flight, it will be easier for people to find there at a later date, but while its so active here it stays...

[Cliffy]

CVR & FDR both have water activated acoustic beacons. Unfortunately, while robust they can be damaged and fail to work.
They should get 20 days at least out of the pinger batteries but tree is some deep water out there!
I think we have at least 4 sets of friends due to fly Air Asia in the next couple of months.
I have always found them to be a good airline with a young fleet of aircraft.
No consolation o the families of the lost though.

[AllTerr]

Just saw on news confirmation of wreckage, luggage, and bodies found.. RIP..... :(


Sent from my iPhone using AULRO mobile app

[Cliffy]

In shallow water too.
They recon the outline of a plane can be seen, I wonder if try tried for a splash landing?

[V8Ian]

In shallow water too.
They recon the outline of a plane can be seen, I wonder if try tried for a splash landing?

I'd reckon if they'd tried any sort of landing they would have sent a mayday or pan pan.

[Eevo]

I'd reckon if they'd tried any sort of landing they would have sent a mayday or pan pan.

aviate
navigate
communicate


in that order.
it would be nice but sometimes flying just takes priority.

[Cliffy]

aviate
navigate
communicate


in that order.
it would be nice but sometimes flying just takes priority.

Correct! And lighting/hail damage may have taken out comms too.
Doesn't take much for a plane to break up so an intact fuselage may indicate a low speed approach. A belly landing would be near impossible in rough seas.
Low slung engines catch the water.

[Mick_Marsh]

AirAsia QZ8501: Poor pilot emergency training, negligence behind plane crash, analysts say - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-02/poor-pilot-emergency-training-behind-airasia-crash-analysts/6995644)


A fault with cracked soldering in part of the plane's rudder system ? which had already caused glitches 23 times in the previous year ? reportedly sent repeated warnings to the pilots.


But it was the pilot's decision to reset the system, which turned off the plane's autopilot, and inexperience in flying in such difficult conditions that then sent the aircraft into a sharp roll from which it never recovered.

[Plane Fixer]

Unfortunately this is called "world best practice" where the training is minimal for both engineering and pilots. The idea is to just meet bare minimums at minimal cost and be just legal.
Today's thinking is to just apply a bandaid, read reset, and kick it on to the next crew or base. Nobody now has the time or expertise to diagnose difficult faults, nor do the operators want a box changed because of the cost, nor do they have a spare as the stores are now working on a "just in time" basis and the manager then meets his kpi with the huge bonus for keeping costs in check.
Sad to say Air Asia are not alone with these problems, they are closer to home than one may want to believe.
Next month I will have been in aircraft engineering for a half a century and have seen a huge change and have a tale or two to tell as well.

[VladTepes]

Yes and that's why QANTAS is more expensive than the budget airlines.
In the event of an emergency you are MUCH more likely to get back alive.